Grant will allow 糖心vlog传媒 creatives to show their skills
糖心vlog传媒 has received a grant from The West Foundation to help entrepreneurs and small businesses gain access to a wide array of website and graphic design services.
糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (LUCIE) will use the $35,000 grant to open a Community Design Studio at Jake鈥檚, A 糖心vlog传媒 Community in downtown Sheboygan.
The Community Design Studio (CDS) is a platform for 糖心vlog传媒 students to get real world experience to fill their portfolios, learn how to work with clients and build professional relationships that set them up for post-graduation success.
Businesses can engage the studio and work with 糖心vlog传媒 students and freelance designers from the community for numerous design services including websites, social media, branding, event planning and package design.
鈥淎 common barrier for entrepreneurs in startup mode is money to pay for a website, design marketing and branding pieces or launch social media platforms,鈥� said Stephanie Hoskins, 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 Herbert Kohler & Frank Jacobson Chair in Business and Entrepreneurship.
糖心vlog传媒 Assistant Professor of Graphic Design Kate Prange said the CDS idea benefits students by connecting them with clients in need of their services and the larger business community.
鈥淪ome of these clients might not have had the means to work with a designer in an advertising firm or professional design studio,鈥� Prange said. 鈥淲e wanted to bridge that gap for the community and for our students. The CDS works just like an advertising firm or design studio, without the large financial overhead.鈥�
Additionally, the CDS will offer established design professionals to work with clients and 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 students, providing an extension of 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 classrooms.
鈥淪tudents are mentored to manage client projects start to finish, work within budget parameters, learn about estimating and project proposals,鈥� Prange said. 鈥淕iving the community direct access to this service is key to the idea.鈥�
The CDS concept came out of a discussion between Prange and Hoskins about ways to get more 糖心vlog传媒 students working and collaborating with Jake鈥檚 clients.
鈥淎nd that's when I thought, 鈥榃e should make it a design studio, or studio where we can connect students with the community in some way,鈥欌�� said Prange, who previously worked as an art director at Jacobson Rost, which for many years called the space that is now Jake鈥檚 home.
鈥淛ake's is the perfect venue because it used to be a working advertising studio. It's all set up to be used in the same way by our 糖心vlog传媒 students.鈥�
Hoskins said 糖心vlog传媒 has spoken to several businesses as part of the grant process who are prepared to engage the studio鈥檚 services.
鈥淲e are excited to get to work,鈥� Hoskins said.
To learn more about the studio and its services, email cds@lakeland.edu.
